NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — We now know what exactly swayed the judge and convinced him to find the man charged with murdering Belmont University student, Jillian Ludwig, competent to go to trial.
And Ludwig's parents tell NewsChannel 5 Investigates they were so relieved that the judge saw things the same way they did.
Last month, we covered the hearing where Shaquille Taylor's attorneys argued he's incompetent to face murder charges for the death of Ludwig.
But after considering everything that was presented during that hearing, including new evidence, Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Steve Dozier determined Taylor to, in fact, be competent.
The question last month before Judge Dozier was whether Shaquille Taylor is competent to stand trial for the 2023 murder of Belmont freshman Ludwig.
Tuesday, the judge revealed his answer in a 24-page order that explains why he deemed Taylor to be competent.
Taylor had previously been found incompetent by court-appointed psychologists in earlier criminal cases, at least one of them citing Taylor's intellectual disability that was diagnosed when he was 3 years old.
And during the two-day hearing in June to determine Taylor's competency in this case, his attorneys argued that because he'd already been found incompetent, he should still be considered incompetent.
But prosecutors urged the judge to consider new evidence, including several videos.
It was this new evidence that evidently convinced the judge, especially a recording made as the DA's own expert psychologist evaluated Taylor.
Taylor can be heard in the video saying, "It was like an accident. It wasn't like I was aiming for her."
Taylor goes on in the video to discuss the shooting, how it happened, and when he learns there's surveillance video of the shooting, he asks to see it so, he tells the psychologist, he can help determine what evidence there is against him.
And later, as the two watch the video of the shooting, Taylor describes to the doctor how it all went down.
The psychologist then asks Taylor, "Can you remember this?"
Taylor replies, "Yes."
Judge Dozier, in his ruling, called this video "exceedingly relevant," writing, "Defendant himself could be heard discussing with Dr. Schacht (the psychologist) in the same manner a defendant would assist their counsel."
The judge also writes that "this recorded discussion is prima facie evidence," meaning it proved to the judge that Taylor is competent.
And another video shown in court, recorded by Metro Police right after Taylor's arrest for Ludwig's murder, prompted the judge to write, "The Court has no concerns that Defendant is presently unable to consult with his attorneys and assist in his defense."
Metro Police say Taylor shot at a car in November of 2023, and one of the bullets struck 18-year-old Ludwig, a college freshman at Belmont, as she walked in a park near campus.
"He didn’t appear to be incompetent to us at all," Jillian's mom, Jessica Ludwig, told NewsChannel 5 Investigates shortly after the hearing.
Jillian's parents were in the courtroom last month for the hearing and had the same reaction to the videos as the judge.
"He (Taylor) knew what he had done. He tried to cover it up, told some falsities. He showed understanding, even remorse, when he told them that he had shot Jillian and he cried," Jessica said.
"The video interviews demonstrate to us that he understands, he knew what he did, he knew what the consequences could be. He can use terminology that would be used in a court setting, he understands what that means. That was clear to us," Matt Ludwig, Jillian's dad, explained.
While all sides agree that Taylor does have an intellectual disability, recent testing shows a significantly higher IQ now than when he was a child.
We talked with the Ludwigs shortly after they learned of the judge's ruling.
Matt Ludwig called it "the first step, a major step on the road to justice for Jillian."
And Jessica Ludwig described the moment.
"When I found out, I just burst into tears. I was just shaking. It was just an outpouring of emotion. And all of this anxiety and hurt that I have bottled up for so long and anger that I have bottled for so long — so I feel better, but I can take a sigh of relief until we have to go to trial," she recalled.
A trial date has not been set in the case yet but is expected soon.
Because of Taylor's intellectual disability, the judge encouraged Taylor's attorneys to request that accommodations be made for him during the trial. Judge Dozier said he would consider implementing them.
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